


we walk tall towards the sun

by earlgrey_milktea



Series: milktea's saso2017 fills [9]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Angst, Attempt at Banter, Brotherhood, FFXV AU, Friendship, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Spoilers, canon-divergence, mild violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-03
Updated: 2017-06-03
Packaged: 2018-11-08 14:30:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11083530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/earlgrey_milktea/pseuds/earlgrey_milktea
Summary: Kageyama is the last king of Lucis, traveling to reclaim his throne with his most trusted friends—his brothers.





	we walk tall towards the sun

**Author's Note:**

> original prompt thread [here](http://sportsanime.dreamwidth.org/21522.html?thread=10624018#cmt10624018)
> 
> basically if there's an ffxv au prompt you better believe i'm nyoomin'
> 
> potential titles i didn't choose:  
> -we're all in this together (sobs in the background)  
> -we walk this broken road on the blvd of broken roads, dunno where it broke but it's only us and we broke the road"  
> -he ain't heavy he's my brother??  
> -CARRY ON MY WAYWARD SON ... except this song's lyrics actually work too well in context and i made myself sad  
> -HEYYYY BROTHER, THERE'S A BROKEN WORLD TO BE RECOVERED

“Kageyama Tobio, sit the fuck down or so help me.”

Kageyama rolls his eyes, but climbs down from the back of the car anyway, sinking back down into his seat beside Hinata. His hair sticks up from when the wind was rushing past, and Hinata snickers loudly. Kageyama doesn’t even turn his head as he reaches out and shoves his friend in the shoulder.

“How much longer?” he asks, slumping down.

“Longer if you keep complaining,” Tsukishima replies. He keeps his gaze on the road even though they’ve been the only car on this endless stretch of highway for ages and ages. It’s like all that is outside of Insomnia is miles and miles of nothing but road and heat.

Kageyama wishes there were at least trees so he can set a ball to Hinata and not be blinded by the relentless sun.

“We’ll probably reach Hammerhead by sundown,” Yamaguchi says, glancing over from the passenger seat. “If we don’t run into any trouble before then.”

“As long as Hinata doesn’t drive again.”

“Hey!” Hinata pouts, finally giving his camera a rest. “The car breaking down really wasn’t my fault, I was just the unlucky one in the driver’s seat!”

“Sure, Hinata, sure.”

Kageyama tilts his head back, allowing the warmth of daylight to wash over him. He listens to Hinata and Yamaguchi sing along to the staticky song on the radio, and closes his eyes. He’ll take a nap, he decides. His friends will wake him when they arrive.

 

 

 

 

The sky is a beautiful pink when they arrive at Hammerhead, but it’s nothing compared to the beautiful mechanic that greets them. With her black hair and cool blue eyes, she could pass for Kageyama’s sister, except that she’s not related to the royal family at all and she probably gets things done faster and better than Kageyama ever will.

“The caravan’s free,” she tells them, hands already on the Regalia, “if you want it. Talk to Yachi in the restaurant.”

“Thanks, Kiyoko,” Tsukishima says, handing her the keys.

“Yachi’s here!” Hinata whoops, and Yamaguchi follows him to talk to the perky little blonde they met last time they stopped by.

Kageyama stretches. His stomach is growling, but his skin is itching. He stares out across the empty road into the vast open desert fields. There’s the all-too-familiar tug of the Crystal back in the direction they came from, and there’s the unfortunately-increasingly-familiar ominous feeling of what lies ahead.

“Oi, Kageyama,” Tsukishima calls. He’s holding the door to the restaurant open. “You going to stand there all night?”

“Coming,” says Kageyama. He shrugs his shoulders twice, and then follows his advisor inside.

 

 

 

 

It’s hot. Irritatingly hot. Which doesn’t make sense, because they’ve been out in the middle of nowhere for days and it gets ridiculously cold at night in these outdoor havens.

Kageyama rolls over, or tries to, anyway. Something impossibly warm stops him. Blinking his eyes open, he finds himself face-to-face with a mouthful of orange hair. “Ugh,” he says, shoving his arms forwards, “ _Hinata._ ”

Hinata doesn’t stir. He does roll over, but in the process he throws his leg out and kicks Kageyama in the gut.

“Hinata, you dumbass,” Kageyama hisses.

“Meatbuns,” Hinata replies.

Kageyama shifts in his sleeping bag, trying to find a comfortable position again. He’s just closed his eyes when an arm whacks him across the chest. He yelps, wheezing.

Hinata giggles in his sleep. Kageyama thought he’d get used to the stupid noises his friend makes, but laughing in his sleep? Nothing will ever creep him out more.

“Hinata,” he whisper-yells. He shoves at Hinata’s shoulder. “Move over.”

“Cup noodle,” says Hinata, sounding so serious, Kageyama actually pauses for a moment.

Kageyama pinches his nose until he snorts, startling awake.

“What was that for, Bakageyama!”

“You’re assaulting me in my sleep, I should be asking _you_ that—”

“I could have suffocated and _died_ —”

“Both of you, shut up this instant or you’re both eating burnt toast tomorrow. For all three meals.”

They both freeze, glancing over to the other side of the tent where Tsukishima is sitting up, hair sticking up on one side and squinting at them as menacingly as one can for someone that can’t see more than a foot in front of him.

“Sorry, Tsukki,” they say in unison.

Yamaguchi sleeps on, unaffected as always by Tsukishima’s wrath and the rest of the world as soon as his head hits the pillow.

 

 

 

 

The hotel room is dead silent, stiflingly so. Kageyama sits with his head in his hands, trying to remember how to breathe properly.

Across the room, Tsukishima is still scrolling through his phone, clever eyes scanning for any headline that could give them just a little more information. Anything more than _Insomnia Falls._ Anything to tell them that maybe it’s misinformation, reporters getting ahead of themselves. That the King isn’t really dead, that the Oracle is still alive. Because the Prince is still here, and they reported him dead, so they must be wrong. They must be.

Hinata hovers by the window, glancing between Tsukishima and Kageyama. Even his generally sunshine presence can’t combat the oppressive heaviness that’s settled over them. He stays close to Yamaguchi, who hasn’t moved from where he’s sank into an armchair, staring blankly at the wall.

When night falls, none of them has left the hotel room. Kageyama falls asleep where he is, curled up on the floor, fatherless and throneless.

 

 

 

 

The MTs come out of nowhere. They always do, dropping from the sky even when they’re going for cover under the trees. Kageyama is really sick of this. But Hinata’s flying through the air, whooping and shooting the enemies with a precision that still manages to shut Kageyama right up, and there’s Yamaguchi striking fast and deadly with his trusty spear, and Tsukishima’s got his back with his shield and split-second commands.

“Hinata!” Kageyama yells, calling forth a heavy double-handed blade. He hears the gunslinger bounce over, and with barely a tilt of his head, he’s tossing the smaller boy upwards in a soaring arc. Hinata flips midair, shooting three MTs on his way down, while Kageyama warps himself forwards and takes care of the rest.

It takes a while, but they’re better at this now. Kageyama picks himself up from the ground, and walks towards his friends.

 

 

 

 

When they reach Altissia, the four of them fall into a hushed silence at the thriving beauty. The scenery is completely different from the fast-paced Insomnia they’re used to, but seeing people out and about, kids laughing with ice cream cones in their hands, couples drifting by on gondolas, it reminds Kageyama of home so, so much.

“Hey, hey,” Hinata says, tugging on Kageyama’s sleeve. “Let’s take a picture!”

“Okay,” Kageyama says, and they line up by a stone railing over the waters.

Yamaguchi has to hold onto Tsukishima’s coat to stop him from escaping, but when Hinata shows them the picture, there’s a smile on everyone’s face, albeit with various degrees of brightness.

They manage to secure a meeting with the Oracle, but there are soldiers watching their every move. Sugawara Koushi smiles kindly at them, his personal guard standing at attention just behind them.

“You’ve come a long way,” he says, “and I’m sorry that you still have a long journey ahead of you.”

Kageyama nods. “The Crystal,” he says, and then stops. Lately, the Crystal’s tug has been almost painful. It calls from deep beyond Niflheim’s borders.

“I can only offer you help in forming Covenants with the gods,” the Oracle says. He stands, and holds out his hand. A trident materializes, and Kageyama can see the prince in him. “I’ll speak with Leviathan now. I only ask you to help Daichi in evacuating the civilians.”

Hours later, Kageyama lies still on the sea-slicked ground, Sugawara’s hand gripping tight onto his. Tears swim in those warm brown eyes, and Kageyama hears him say, “May the Astrals guide you, Kageyama Tobio. Don’t give up. Your people needs you.”

And then everything falls apart.

 

 

 

 

Tsukishima has his fists clenched around Kageyama’s collar, eyes ablaze as he looms over his prince—no, King. Kageyama’s owns hands are fisted in his advisor’s shirt, and he growls right back.

“You’re a disgrace,” Tsukishima hisses, “You call yourself a King?”

“It’s not like I asked for the title,” Kageyama spits back. “What kind of King wants to sit on an empty throne ruling over a dying kingdom?”

“You have a responsibility!” Tsukishima roars.

“You think I don’t know that!”

“Kageyama, you—”

“What? What is your—”

“Stop it, both of you!”

Yamaguchi shoves his way between them, a hand pressed on both chests, heaving just as hard as they are. His sightless gaze is directed on the ground in front of them, but there’s a fierce scowl on his face. Kageyama drops his fists, jaw tight. Tsukishima glares at the ground.

“Kageyama, you know he’s only trying to help you,” Yamaguchi says. “And Tsukki, you know Kageyama is doing his best. You’re both on the same side, and you’re not kids anymore. You should be ashamed of yourselves.”

Bitter silence rings out after Yamaguchi’s quiet words. Hinata is still crouched by the campfire, eyes large and shiny in a way it hurts to look at. Kageyama grinds his teeth. He hates this. He hates how useless he is.

“Let’s get some rest,” Yamaguchi continues. “We’ve all had a long day.” He turns, and takes Hinata’s hand gratefully when the smaller boy stands to lead him to the tent.

Tsukishima doesn’t look at him when he walks away. Kageyama closes his eyes, and swallows hard, hoping the lump in his throat will go away. It doesn’t, but he tries anyway.

 

 

 

 

When they find Hinata again, there’s a brittleness in his amber eyes that Kageyama doesn’t like. His friend does his best to smile at them anyway. Kageyama sits next to him, and tries to forget the chilling laughter of Oikawa echoing through the Keep.

“I’m sorry for not telling you guys,” Hinata says. His hand is clenched tight around his right wrist.

“It’s okay, Hinata,” Yamaguchi reassures him.

Hinata’s looking at him. Kageyama releases a long breath. “You’re not one of them,” he says. “You’re just... Hinata.”

“Still clumsy and loud,” says Tsukishima.

“You’re fine,” Kageyama adds stiffly. “Crown citizen.”

Predictably, Hinata cries. Yamaguchi puts his arms around him, while Tsukishima slides onto the floor and closes his eyes. Kageyama hesitates only a second before putting a hand on top of Hinata’s head, petting his hair softly.

Tomorrow, they’ll face the Accursed.

 

 

 

 

On the broken steps of what used to be his home, Kageyama turns and looks at his friends. They stare back at him, face dirty and tired but determined. Steady. They’re so much older now.

“Well?” Tsukishima says. “What are you waiting for?”

“Tsukki,” Yamaguchi admonishes, but it sounds half-hearted at best.

“Kageyama,” Hinata says, and Kageyama finds that same fire in those familiar amber eyes. “You’re not alone. You’re our King, remember? And what’s a King without his Crownsguard?”

Kageyama huffs. “I know, dumbass.”

He turns, straightens his shoulders. As the night looks on, with the strength of his friends—his brothers—behind him, he walks tall.

**Author's Note:**

> find me sobbing about volleykids and the chocobros @puddingcatbae on tumblr and twitter


End file.
